Drive-in serving system



g- 1946. A. w. DELUCCHI 2,405,294

DRIVE- IN SERVING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 27, 1944 4 Sheets-$heet 2 v g- 1946. A. w. DELUCCHI 2,405,294

DRIVE-IN SERVING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 27, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 7 22:16.5 Pkg 4 a ammo/rm 5. WFZSDEZLLCCJDIL l mzmt, w

Aug. 6,1946. A. w. DELUQZQZHE EAQSQZM DRIVE-IN SERVING SYSTEM Filed Oct. @27 1944 Sheets-Sheet 4 ,5. ZZZDeZwcchzl Patented Aug. 6, 1946 DRIVE-IN SERVING SYSTEM Calif.

Application October 27,

4 Claims.

This invention is directed to, and it is an object'to provide, an improved drive-in type eating or refreshment establishment or store, where patrons remain in their automobiles to be served. A further object of the invention is to provide a novel drive-in establishment wherein the food- ..stufls or refreshments are delivered by mechanical ,conveyors from within the building where prepared to apoint adjacent the automobiles parked at predetermined stations outside the building, whereby to improve and facilitate service to the patrons.

An additional object of this invention is to provide, in a drive-in establishment as above, a unique conveyor assembly for each automobile station; the building being two-story and the prepared foodstuffs or refreshments being delivered by said conveyor assemblies from the upper story, where said foodstuffs or refreshments are prepared, downward to adjacent the automobiles parked outsidethe building. This arrangement permits the first floor of the building to be used independently for a market, cafe, or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a-novel delivery assembly between the preparation counter in the building to adjacent the inner .end of the mechanical conveyors which lead from .the building and to the parking stations exteriorly of said building.

A further object of the invention is to provide a. simple and'practical drive-in serving system, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan of the drive-in systemwith the roof of the building removed.

Figure 2 is'a fragmentary sectional elevation of the building on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, illustrating one of the conveyor enclosing chutes and corresponding dispensing stand. I

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation, partly broken away and partly in section, of one of the dispensing stands and the corresponding conveyor enclosing chute.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of one of the dis- 'pensing stands showing the carriage removal door in open position with the carriage thereon.

' s Figure 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Figure 6 is an enlargedfragmentary sectional elevation at theupper end of one of the conveyor j Qumran STATES PATENT OFFlCE 1944, Serial No. 560,659

enclosing chutes showing the drive mechanism for the corresponding carriage, and the adjacent part of the annular counter.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic plan view of the drive mechanism.,

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference onthe drawings, my improved drive-in serving system comprises a building, indicated generallyat I, and which is preferably circular in configuration, such building'including a lower story 2 and an upper story 3. Both stories are provided with suitable windows, doors, etc. The foodstuffs or refreshments are prepared in the upper story 3 of the building, which upper story includes an annular counter 4 which extends about said upper story at the wall and at a desirable working height. The counter 4 adjacent its inneredge includes an annular delivery turntable 5.

In the upper story 3, and adjacent the back of the building, there is provided the kitchen or preparation area, indicated generally at 6, and

which area includes suitable shelves 1, stoves 8,

and an order and checking desk 9, the latter projecting toward the center of the upper story room. A semi-circular merchandise shelf unit l9 may be mounted in saidupper story in spaced relation to the counter '4 on the side opposite the desk 9.

A plurality of outwardly and downwardly projecting chutes H extend from the upper story of the building in circumferentially spaced, substantially radial relation thereto, said chutes projecting at their upper ends through the sidewall [2 of the building and opening through the counter 4. The chutes ll radiate from the front and sides of the building, while the back of the building is employed for employee parking lots 13. At the front and sides of the building the parking area about said building is separated by suitable markers [4 into parking stations I5 for automobiles; each such station l5 being closely alongside one of the chutes ll adjacent the lower end of the latter. The parking stations [5 are arranged so that automobiles may park on opposite sides of each chute, and as will hereinafter appear each chute includes a pair of mechanical conveyors, said conveyors corresponding to adjacent parking stations l5.

At their lower ends each chute II projects into and is supported by an upstanding housing l6 which forms the dispensing stand of the system. On opposite sides, and at substantially automobile window height, each housing 16 includes .a door I! hingedly mounted for horizontal opening movement Each chute ll includes an inclined bottom 18 which is formed with transversely spaced pairs of guiding rails 19. At its lower end and within the housing l6 each door I! carries a bottom extension 20 alined with the bottom [8 of the chute; each such bottom extension 20 being only half width of the bottom [8 and having short rails 2| matching with the rails I9 of the corresponding sideof bottom [8.

A pair of roller supported carriages 22 are disposed in each chute H and ride corresponding pairs of rails I9; the carriages 22 each including a horizontal tray receiving top 23, which top is exposed through the counter 4 when said carriages are in fully raised position, asshown in Fig. 6. Movement of each of the carriages up and down within the chute I l is controlled by suitable means, such as a small power winch .24 mounted beneath the counter 4 and controlled by a hand lever 25 Which projects under said counter for ready access by an attendant. The winch 24 includes a drum 26 from which a flexible cord or cable 21 runs over a direction-changing pulley 28 and thence connects with the corresponding carriage 22. The winch 24 may be of the type which is indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 7, and which is of the opposed gear clutch type, including a bevel drive pinion 29 and an axially shiftable opposed bevel gear unit, indicated generally at 38.

'It will be seen that upon shifting of the lever 25 in one direction the carriage will be raised, while shifting of said lever in the other direction will cause the flexible cord 21 to bepaid out at a speed sufficient to permit of gravitational lowering of the corresponding carriage 22.

When the lever 25 is in neutral position the drum 26 is held against rotation by suitable braking mechanism (not shown).

The housing l6 includes on each side an intercommunicating, combination microphone and speaker 3|, together with suitable service or sig- "nal buttons 32. Also a menu holder 33 is'mounted on each side of the housing l5.

"When an automobile is driven alongside one of the housings [6, the patron reaches out and pushes one of the buttons 32, which actuates a signal, either visual or audible, in the upper story ofthe building. An attendant then speaks into a combination microphone and'speaker 34 at the order desk, and solicits the order of the patrons in the automobile through the medium of the speaker 3|. The arrangement is such that the speakers 3| and 34 permit back and forthconversation between the patron in the automobile and the attendant in the upper story of the building. After the order is taken by the attendant at the desk 9, such order is written up on a tag and handed to the chef or the like in kitchen 6. The order is then prepared and placed on a tray T, which in turn is disposed on the annular delivery turntable 5. The turntable is then actuated to deliver the loaded tray T to a point in'the counter 4 adjacent the chute I l corresponding to the parking station 15 at which the patrons automobile is parked.

The attendant in the upper story of the building then places the tray on the top 23 of the carriage 22, and operates the winch 24 so as to lower said carriage down to the corresponding housing Hi. When the carriage runs into said housing IE, it rests on the corresponding bottom extension 20, being limited in its downward movement by a stop 35 on the lower end of said extension. When the upper story then causesactuation of a suitable signal 36 on the housing [6, which indicates to the patron that his order is ready to be withdrawn from said housing. At this time the patron reaches out of his automobile and opens the adjacent door ll, which carries with it the corresponding bottom extension 20 and the carriage seated thereon; this being possible due to the slack in th flexible cord or cable2l. The open position of the door is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The tray T may then be removed from the carriage and disposed on the automobile for ready access by the patron to the foodstuffs or refreshments thereon.

When the patron is ready to leave he pushes another of the service buttons 32, which calls a parking station attendant to the automobile, and which attendant is paid the amount represented by a bill which accompanies the tray T from the upper story. After the bill has been paid the parking station attendant places the tray T on the corresponding carriage 22 and closes the door I1. He then presses the third service button 32, which signals the attendant in the upper story to raise the carriage and withdraw the tray therefrom.

While the above drive-in serving system has been described as particularly useful in connection with drive-in cafes or refreshment establishments, the system may be effectively used in connection with a market.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a system as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the system, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as'do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A drive-in serving system comprising a building having a lower and an upper story, means-defining a plurality of parking stations exteriorly of and adjacent the building, a dispensing stand mounted along each of said parking stations, a separate chute extending from within the upper story of the building downwardly and outwardly to each dispensing-stand, a carriage arranged to run in each chute from a loading point in the building to an unloading point at said stand, and means to raise or lower said carriage; said stands each comprising a housing into which the chute extends, the carriage when lowered being disposed in the housing, and a door on each housing opening toward the adjacent parking station, the door when'open providing access to the carriage when the latter is lowered, the carriage being laterally movable when in the housing, the chute bottom at its lower end being a separate part mounted on and movable with the door whereby when the carriage is in the housing and the door is open, the carriage is withdrawn with the door.

2. -A drive-in serving system comprising a building means defining a vehicle parking station exteriorly of and adjacent the building, a dispensing stand adjacent said parking station, such stand comprising a housing, a tunnel-like enclosure extending between the building and the stand housing and opening into both thereof, a carriage adapted to run between the building and housing in said enclosure andto enter said housing; the housing having a door in one side thereof to provide access to the carriage when the latter is in said housing, the carriage being laterally movable when in the housing, the door including supporting means on which the carriage is supported when in the housing, whereby the carriage, when so supported, is withdrawn from the housing when the door is opened.

3. In combination: a service housing provided with a service door, a horizontally disposed service counter disposed in a plane above the housing, an inclined chute leading from the service housing and opening at its upper end through the counter, a service carriage arranged to be moved from the housing through the chute and into the opening in the counter such carriage including a truck portion parallel to the inclined chute and a horizontally disposed tray top supported by the truck portion whereby a tray may be horizontally supported in all positions of travel of the truck along the inclined chute and when projected through the opening in the counter.

4. A combination as in claim 3 and including therewith a support fixed on the service door, such support lying in the same inclined plane as the bottom of the chute and forming a con- 15 movement of the carriage ofi the support.

ANTHONY W. DELUCCHI. 

